Merry Christmas Rogue
by Kitten Moo
Summary: Scott never did buy Rogue a Christmas gift, your basic ooey gooey lovey dovey crap.


Disclaimer: I don't own X-men, other people do, people with big clubs that would beat me if I tried to steal them.  
  
Author's Note: This takes place right after 'On Angel's Wings'.  
  
  
  
Merry Christmas, Rogue  
  
By starched_undergarments  
  
The drive back to the hotel was a quiet one while outside the snow continued to fall silently onto the dark corners of New York City. Scott looked over at his companion; the passing lights of the street lamps illuminating her face for brief moments before her pale features were plunged into darkness.  
  
The taxi stopped at a corner light and waited patiently as urgent shoppers crossed the streets in order to get to the next sale.  
  
God I'd hate to be shopping for a Christmas gift tonight, Scott though to himself. Wait a second..gift? SHIT!!! I still haven't gotten Rogue anything!  
  
Scott cringed and looked around desperately, trying to see if they were anywhere near that CD store Rogue had liked. It was hard to tell since New York at night was so different than it was in the daytime.  
  
Rogue looked over at him, dark lips smiling. "Isn't it pretty?" she asked him. Scott blinked a few time and then realized she was talking about the snow.  
  
"Uhhh yeah, it's nice," he said dumbly, trying to focus on the subject at hand.  
  
"Growing up down south Ah never did see much snow, only in snow globes." She laughed and leaned her head back on the seat. "It's so pure," she said softly, her eyes going kind.  
  
Scott turned away, his face growing serious. "It's not always pure," he said quietly. She turned to him, about to ask what he meant, when the taxi stopped and the driver grunted, gesturing that this was their stop.  
  
Scott paid the taxi driver while Rogue dug around in her pocket for the hotel key. The two of them had been put up in the Sandman Hotel, nothing fancy but still nice. Once inside their room Rogue hung up their coats and the two sat down on their respective beds.  
  
Silence hung about the room like a fluttering moth. Scott cleared his throat and picked at the lint that was on the bedspread.  
  
"Well.uh, if ya'll don't mind I'm gonna take a long shower. The snow might be pretty and all, but my hands and legs are freezing from when I had to fly around this city trying to get ol' bucket-head."  
  
Scott swallowed hard and nodded. "Sure. Urmm are you hungry? I noticed a small café, I can go grab us something while you're showering if you'd like." He tried to sound casual, tried to hide the awkwardness in his voice. In all actuality he was really trying to get out of having to sit in the next room while she showered. The thought of Rogue unclothed and wet in the next room made his blood race.  
  
Rogue winked at him and grinned. "Sure, sounds great. Get me anything with chocolate in it."  
  
Slipping back into his slightly wet shoes he heard her sigh as the shower's waters pattered nosily against the tub.  
  
Yeah.getting outside into the cold weather sounds really good right around now.  
  
With that Scott left the hotel, trying to put the mental images of Rogue in the shower out of his mind and focus on where the hell he was going to find a gift for her in such a short amount of time.  
  
After walking up and down a few streets he began to loose hope; everything was either closed up early or just wasn't Rogue's style.  
  
This is why I don't mind shopping for Jean, at least I know she'll like anything as long as it's trendy or cute. But what the hell am I going to get Rogue? I don't know anything about what goths like!  
  
Taking a chance, Scott entered a small gift store, hoping that he would find some sort of item that she would at least like a little. He looked around but after a few minutes he began to feel defeated. A soft hand touched his shoulder and he turned around surprised. It was the owner of the store, a tall and slightly weathered looking old man who smiled warmly.  
  
"Something I can help you with son?"  
  
Scott sighed. "I don't think so. I'm trying to find a gift for.a friend of mine. But the thing is, she's not your typical girl and I can't figure out what to get her."  
  
The old man patted his shoulder and led him gently over to the counter. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about her? Maybe if we both put our heads together we can get the little miss something really special."  
  
Scott shrugged and leaned against the counter. "She's, urmm, nice. And she likes black, and Marilyn Manson. But she's not freaky or weird or anything," he added quickly.  
  
The old man smiled and leaned towards Scott. "That doesn't give me a whole lot to work with, son. How about this: close your eyes and think about her. What are the first things you get when you think about her?"  
  
Scott closed his eyes, feeling a little silly, but no one else was in the shop and the old guy seemed nice enough; its not like the old guy was about to knock him out and mug him or anything.  
  
"Her smile, it's always so. special," he said slowly, picturing Rogue in his mind. "She doesn't smile a lot but when she does it lights up her face, which is funny because she wears black lipstick. And her eyes, they're filled with sadness and pain. yet understanding, I feel like. like she really knows what I'm going through. Not because she knows me, but because she's gone through it herself."  
  
"Good." He heard the old man rummaging. "Go on. What is she to you?"  
  
Scott thought hard, tried to remember his first impressions of her. Memories flooded his mind, jumbled images that were all strung together and hazy.  
  
All but one.  
  
"You are like an angel," he whispered to himself and he heard the old man chuckle. He opened his eyes and blushed; the man was smiling and gave him a wink.  
  
"Well you're not too bad yourself sonny, but I'm afraid I'm spoken for. Here, while you were talking to yourself I managed to find and wrap up something I think will be perfect for her." He pushed a wrapped package across the countertop.  
  
"Don't I get to know what it is?" Scott asked warily. The old man punched him lightly on the arm.  
  
"Where's the fun it that? It's more fun if it's a surprise to the both of you. That'll be thirty-five-seventy-six, son."  
  
Scott paid the man and exited the store, feeling light headed and slightly giddy. As he walked away he heard the man call after him.  
  
"And don't you go and peek at it, sonny. Can't have you spoil the surprise!"  
  
Scott laughed and waved at the old man. I hope to God this isn't some sort of sick joke. I sure hope that old guy didn't just sell me a vibrator.  
  
When he entered the hotel room he was met with darkness. The lights were out and he could see Rogue sitting at the window, her form illuminated by the city's twinkling lights.  
  
"Hey," he said placing the food down carefully on the table near the door.  
  
She turned and smiled, her hair damp and gathered up behind her head. She wore one of his white button shirts; it was loose on her, baggy. Yet somehow she looked absolutely beautiful, her form lost in his top, begging for him to find it with his hands. She made as if to stand up, the shirt inching up her pale thigh. Scott shook his head and was grateful that she couldn't see his blush in the dark.  
  
"I got you chocolate cheese cake if that's okay," he said as he slipped out of his jacket and shoes. She smiled and nodded enthusiastically.  
  
"That's just fine, sounds great. Oh, Ah had to steal one of your shirts. My pajama's somehow got soaked from mah jacket."  
  
"That's fine," he said nervously, making his way over. He sat down next to her cautiously, and took out the wrapped package that the old man had sold to him. She looked at him curiously and he blushed.  
  
"I uhmm, realized that with all the running around we did I never did get you a Christmas gift. So urmm." He trailed off and held out the gift for her to take.  
  
"Oh Scott! Ya'll didn't have to. Thank you." She smiled and placed the gift in her lap. "But before Ah open this Ah have to ask you something."  
  
"Okay, shoot."  
  
"What did you mean in the taxi? About snow not always being pure? You don't have to tell me if it's too personal, but. Ah'd like to know."  
  
He sighed and leaned against the window, looking out onto the city. "When I was a kid we always got to play outside in the snow at the orphanage. It wasn't a huge deal to me. I mean I still liked it but I lived in Alaska. There's always snow." He smiled briefly but then frowned.  
  
"But one day I was off by myself making snow angels, lying on my back looking at the snow as it fell down towards me. Enjoying myself, you know. being a kid. When all of a sudden I heard people talking. It was a few of the older boys from the orphanage. They were walking towards me and they asked me what I was doing."  
  
Scott paused, remembering his answer. Making snow angels. God he had sounded so young.so innocent.  
  
"I told them and they all laughed, calling me a baby. Next thing I know two of them were burying my face in the snow, laughing and telling me that I was an idiot. It was so cold and I couldn't breathe. When they finally let up and left I hauled my head out of the snow, and all I saw was blood."  
  
Rogue gasped and touched his arm gently, Scott looked down at his hands. "I guess I had gotten a nose bleed or something, but it was just so."  
  
"Vibrant," Rogue finished for him, caressing his arm. "Oh Scott, Ahm sorry, and here Ah am going on about how pretty it is."  
  
Scott shook his head and looked up into her pale face. "No, don't get me wrong. I still like the stuff and I can appreciate the beauty just like everyone else but... you know."  
  
She nodded and hugged him, the gesture startling him. She was so warm, so pleasing to the touch. He sat motionless, and then placed his arms around her, embracing her fully.  
  
She broke the embrace, turning the present over in her hands. He swallowed nervously as she began to unwrap it.  
  
Please please please.. Be something good.  
  
"Oh Scott!" She murmured, her eyes going wide and her lips spreading into a wide smile.  
  
He looked down and had to smile himself; in her hands was a glass snow globe. Glitter and tiny snowflakes drifted around a grey cemetery, like some sort of dark wonderland. And in the middle, standing tall and beautiful, was a stone angel.  
  
You are like an angel, he thought to himself, remembering the words he had muttered at the store.  
  
She looked up at him, tears spilling out of her eyes. "This is. so beautiful. Ah love it."  
  
He embraced her again, feeling her warmth against his, his heart next to hers.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Rogue."  
  
End. 


End file.
